In this paper, a first version of an ontology for early phases of engineering design is developed using the SAPPhIRE model. A representation is empirically developed for the constructs of the SAPPhIRE model. Based on this representation, an ontology is developed by building clusters of nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs and mathematical equations from earlier work based on the SAPPhIRE model. Relationships are identified between the clusters and the constructs of the model. The developed ontology is validated by comparing it against existing ontologies to assess similarities and differences. Potential applications and means for expanding the ontology are also outlined.
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